1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, and particularly to an ink jet recording apparatus for effecting recording on both sides of a recording medium.
2. Related Background Art
Heretofore, many recording apparatuses for ordinary users could effect only one-side recording, and when both-side recording is to be effected on a postcard or the like, recording has been effected on both sides by a user turning the recording sheet over and feeding it after one-surface recording. Also, both-side recording decreases recording sheets required for recording to half and can curtail the space for keeping recording sheets and further is useful for environmental protection and therefore, the demand for it has heightened.
So, in recent years, various recording apparatuses have been proposed in order to make both-side recording possible. For example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-24350, etc., there is described a recording apparatus in which a recording sheet on which one-side recording has been effected is once discharged and reversed, and thereafter is re-fed to a recording portion, whereby recording is also effected on the other surface. Also, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-178758, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-76713, etc., there are described recording apparatuses in which recording heads are disposed at both sides of a recording sheet and recording is effected on both surfaces of the recording sheet.
However, in the aforedescribed recording apparatus according to the prior art in which the recording sheet is re-fed, a mechanism for reversing the recording sheet is complicated and requires a bulky apparatus. Also, it suffers from the problem that a time for reversing the recording sheet is required and therefore the time for both-side recording becomes long.
Also, the construction in which recording heads are disposed at both sides of the recording sheet suffers from the problem that blankless recording cannot be effected by recording means of the ink jet type.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus which can effect recording on both sides of a recording sheet at a time and can effect blankless recording irrespective of both-side recording or one-side recording.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus having conveying means for conveying a recording sheet, first recording means for discharging ink to a first surface of the recording sheet conveyed by the conveying means to thereby record an image thereon, second recording means for discharging ink to a second surface opposite to the first surface of the recording sheet conveyed by the conveying means to thereby record an image thereon, a first ink receiving device disposed at the first surface side of the recording sheet for receiving the ink discharged from the second recording means, and a second ink receiving device disposed at the second surface side of the recording sheet for receiving the ink discharged from the first recording means.